After installing last Tuesday’s , some Internet Explorer users discovered that their browsers would crash when visiting certain Web sites, including, ironically enough, Hotmail.com A message would be displayed saying “Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close etc. etc.”.

It appears to affect users of Windows XP Service Pack 2 who are still running 6. If you have this problem, Microsoft says you can fix it by editing the registry. Details here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946627

Warning: Working in the is for advanced users only. Make a backup copy of the registry first. If you are not comfortable messing with the registry, you can finally bite the bullet and go for 7, available from the Windows Update site. Or, of course, you can just switch to , which works very well.

Speculation is circulating on the Web that this problem is related to software. You can try this procedure: Disconnect from the Internet. Uninstall that latest security update MS07-069 by clicking Start, Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs. If you cannot find it, uninstall all the updates you got on Dec. 11.

Now uninstall your antivirus software. Install the update(s), then reinstall your antivirus program. This may solve the problem.

Syd Tash is a noted computer security consultant and author of How to Protect Your Computer Online. He has been keeping Internet surfers safe and secure since the last century. Find out how he does it; protect your own computer with five layers of protection right here: = > http://MyPCSecuritySite.com

You may include these Tips in your Web sites and publications provided they remain unchanged and include the above paragraph, with the author’s name and Web site.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!